How to Numerically Solve for a Fourth Force to Achieve a Specific Resultant?

  • Thread starter Thread starter twofish
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Mechanics Vector
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a first-year engineering mechanics problem involving the determination of a fourth force required to achieve a specific resultant force. The original poster describes having already calculated the resultant of three forces and is now tasked with finding a fourth force that results in a vertical resultant of 750 N.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to use trigonometric relationships to find the components of the unknown force. They express uncertainty about how to derive the two unknowns from their current understanding.

Discussion Status

Participants have engaged in clarifying the approach to finding the x and y components of the new force. Some have provided guidance on setting up equations based on the known resultant forces, while others have expressed their own confusion about the methodology.

Contextual Notes

The original poster has already determined the resultant of the three forces to be 821 N at an angle of 87 degrees North of East, which is a critical piece of information for the ongoing discussion.

twofish
Messages
24
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


First of all I will have to apologize if this in in the wrong forum. It is a 1st year engineering mechanics problem.

I am having an issue solving a secondary part of a question.
The first part of the question has asked me to both graphically and numerically determine a resultant of three forces acting on an object, with magnitude and angles for all given. This was straightforward.
I am now being asked to determine a fourth Force such that the resultant R of all the four forces will be vertical (90 degrees) and has a magnitude of 750 N.
I have done this question graphically, but am wondering how I go about doing it numerically ..just buy using trig etc.
thanks much,


The Attempt at a Solution



i have thus far determined that my previous resultant force was 821 N at 87 degrees North of East.
I have therefore now said that my resultant is going to have to = 750 N so
750 = (sum Fx + sum Fy)^(1/2).
I am just unsure how I would go about getting two unkowns from this methodology, the X component and Y component of the unkown vector..
 
Physics news on Phys.org
What is the x - component of your 821N force ? Add to that and the x-component of your new force and you get 0. solve for the x-component of the new force.

same way, solve for the y-component.
 
Well the last resultant at a magnitude of 821N had 50.0007N (X-component) and 819.181N (Y component). Direction was 86.5 degrees N of E
Now I need to add a Force such the new resultant will be 750N and vertical (or 90 degrees).
I guess what I am saying is, I don't know how to get the X or Y component for my new force, because I don't know what it will be.
 
50.0007N + Fx = 0, solve for Fx

819.181N + Fy = 750, solve for Fy.
 
of course.. how silly of me, I was trying to make a triangle and use law of cosines.. thanks much!
 

Similar threads

Replies
5
Views
3K
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • · Replies 30 ·
2
Replies
30
Views
2K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
4K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
4K